Identify the part of speech for the underlined word in the following sentence: "She runs quickly to catch the bus."
1 Answer
1. The Core Function of an Adverb
First, let's define what an adverb does. An adverb is a word that modifies (describes or gives more information about) one of three things:
- A verb (an action or state of being)
- An adjective (a describing word)
- Another adverb
Adverbs typically answer questions like:
How? (e.g., slowly, carefully, quickly)
When? (e.g., now, yesterday, later)
Where? (e.g., here, outside, everywhere)
To what extent? (e.g., very, extremely, too)
2. Applying the Definition to the Sentence
Sentence: "She runs quickly to catch the bus."
Identify the Verb: The main action in the sentence is the verb runs.
Ask the "How?" Question: How does she run? The answer is quickly. Since "quickly" answers the question "how?" about the verb "runs," it is functioning as an adverb. It describes the manner in which the action is performed. It's not describing "she" (the subject), but rather the action of running.
3. The "-ly" Suffix: A Common Clue
Many adverbs, especially those that describe how an action is done (adverbs of manner), are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
- Adjective: quick (describes a noun, e.g., "a quick runner")
- Adverb: quickly (describes a verb, e.g., "she runs quickly")
Other examples of this pattern include:
slow (adjective) -> slowly (adverb)
loud (adjective) -> loudly (adverb)
* careful (adjective) -> carefully (adverb)
4. Adverb vs. Adjective: A Clear Comparison
To fully understand the role of "quickly" as an adverb, it helps to contrast it with its adjective form, "quick."
Adverb Example: "She runs quickly."
Here, quickly modifies the verb runs*. It describes the action.Adjective Example: "She is a quick runner."
Here, quick modifies the noun runner*. It describes the person, not the action.
In summary, "quickly" is an adverb in your sentence because it directly modifies the verb "runs" by explaining how the action is being performed.